How many pet parents give subcutaneous fluids to cats and dogs?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Your vet is correct in saying that the subcutaneous fluids given to animals are the same as those given to humans. However, due to their pH, certain fluids can burn while being given subcutaneously as they react with the normal fluids in the body. I recommend asking your vet what type of fluids they recommend, what amount your cat needs, and to show you how to administer them. I sometimes recommend a numbing cream to facilitate the administration, only if there are no underlying medical conditions. If your cat has liver issues, fluids may help correct some of the symptoms, but other issues such as adequate nutrition need to be taken into account as well. I am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

This isn't really something we monitor to be honest, so I don't have a good number for you. If he's not drinking much water or eating very wet food, he likely is getting slowly dehydrated if he's getting 200ml water subcutaneous and urinating that 200ml out, since he will lose water through his feces, breathing, skin, etc. I'd recommend letting his vet know what you're seeing, checking in on his kidney values, and consider increasing his fluid levels slightly. However, I wouldn't do this without guidance from his vet, because there are other issues he could have at the same time that would require taking a more moderated approach to the fluid amounts.

SQ fluids must be given with a needle under the skin and although it might look brutal to you it is actually much easier on the cat than try to force her this quantity of water orally, which is virtually impossible.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding the puppies. I'm sorry to hear that they have parvo. I believe you are referring to subcutaneous fluids. These are fluids that are given under the skin as opposed to intravenously. This allows it to be done out of the hospital. The fluids help to keep the puppies hydrated in the face of ongoing fluid losses through continued vomit and diarrhea. Your veterinarian will need to provide the fluid bags, supplies and instruction on how to administer the fluid as well as appropriate doses for each pup. There are several types of fluids that can be used on this will be based on the needs of the individual puppies. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your kitty. It's so hard to lose them :( Unfortunately this is not a question you will ever know the answer to. You can see all sorts of things happen. Some cats get subq fluids and things still progress. Some never get subq fluids and do fine for years. Some will not get subq fluids until they are end stage of the disease. The main control of kidney disease is diet. Increasing the fluids in any fashion is considered helpful and may extend the life BUT again, it may not. Same goes with the B12. The fluids and b12 are essentially proactive but are not a guarantee. Unfortunately, you cannot change how things played out and my advice is to focus on the positive memories and the time you shared with her. Again, my condolences.

I don't recommend giving them water via oral syringe because they can choke on it. Cats don't like having anything syringed in their mouth! You can give added water to food, but it's not enough. Sub Q fluids are recommended for any cat with CKD. As their kidney function falters, the kidneys must produce more urine in order to eliminate the waste products. Cats with kidney disease cannot consume adequate water to meet the needs of their compromised kidneys. The waste products begin to build up in the bloodstream, which ultimately cause affected cats to feel sick. These fluids produce extra urine, thus helping flush out the waste products. The extra fluid intake helps with the kidney disease.

A small amount of bloody water is normal if you hit a small capillary vessel with your needle. A couple drops that stops with some pressure is totally normal and not concerning at all. Fluid therapy is frequently very helpful for extended both life quantity and quality in cats, so it's probably necessary but you can talk to your vet if you want to clarify that.